Civil Society Days 2022 – Opening session

Ladies and gentlemen, dear Vice-President Schinas, dear participants here in the room and online,

First of all, I would like to warmly welcome you all for this major flagship event that is a beautiful and intense cooperation between the civil society organisations of the Liaison group and all the relevant sections and observatories of the European Economic and Social Committee.

Thank you very much for joining us in such large numbers at this 2022 edition of the Civil Society Days.

I regret that this event, once again to protect our health, must take place mainly in the virtual space. The good thing is, however, that this also allows more people to connect and be part of the debate. And that is what the Civil Society Days are all about: bringing together citizens, civil society organisations, members of the European Economic and Social Committee, EU institutions and experts to address the major societal challenges the EU faces in shaping its future.

The debate we are having today on “The EU as a driver of shared prosperity” could not have been more timely.

While the EU is still grappling with the pandemic, with its far-reaching economic and social impact, and the uncertainty for the months to come, since 24 February, it has had to deal with a crisis of a very different nature - a war on its doorstep.  The military invasion of Ukraine has shocked and horrified the international community, and has endangered the stability and security of the European continent. With every passing day, the war becomes more tragic for the Ukrainian people, but also a bigger threat to the future of Europe and the world at large. Overnight, the European project's founding narrative of peace, security and prosperity has become more relevant than ever in the last 70 years.

On the very day of the invasion, I have issued a statement, in the name of the EESC, strongly condemning the armed invasion and expressing our solidarity with Ukraine’s people and civil society. I called for firm action both at EU and at national level, in a spirit of unity. Of course, we follow the situation very closely and we turn our solidarity into concrete action for the people in Ukraine. Furthermore, the EESC will adopt a Resolution on the situation in Ukraine during its plenary session next week. We have already been very clear: there cannot be a safe Europe without a safe and secure Ukraine.

In this context, we welcome the conclusions of the European Council of Versailles, which integrates EESC's recommendations: to immediately stop to military action on Ukrainian soil; to protect people in Ukraine and help the ones who are fleeing in the EU and to strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy, notably in the energy sector. The EESC has also highlighted the pivotal role of civil society organisations in supporting Ukrainians in the EU.

Ladies and gentleman,

According to the last Economic Forecast of the European Commission, there were promising signs of a recovery. The Forecast indicated that the EU as a whole reached its pre-pandemic level of GDP in the third quarter of 2021 and that while the EU economy grew by 5.3% in 2021, it is expected to expand by 4% in 2022 and 2.8% in 2023.

This is undoubtedly good news. However, with the recent developments in Ukraine and the lasting economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic we know that the recovery is still in an early and fragile stage, a stage that can be severely and negatively affected by these developments. The biggest challenge remains to ensure a balanced recovery throughout Europe while establishing a path towards a resilient and sustainable future.

Meanwhile, the climate crisis has in no way abated. It is time for urgent action. We should be able to turn our current challenges into an opportunity to "reboot the system", bounce forward and do things differently.

The key words for Europe after the COVID-19 crisis need to be: green, digital, inclusive and resilient. The goal should not be to simply get back to the pre-crisis status quo, but to foster the necessary reforms to help Europe face the digital and green transitions. 

It therefore remains crucial that enterprises and workers continue receiving support to survive, recover and help rebuild the economy. This is why it is imperative that the ambitious NextGenerationEU, centered on the Recovery and Resilience Facility, is properly implemented by the Member States. I am more convinced than ever that civil society, if effectively and efficiently involved, can really make the difference between success and failure.

Through our European Semester Group, we closely monitor the implementation of the national recovery and resilience plans, by using our network of national Economic and Social Councils, social partners and NGOs across Europe. So far, we have noted that many Member States have not yet engaged in sufficient consultation with organised civil society. And where they did, it was too late.

The EESC is convinced that the sustainable development agenda is the way to go: it is our economic growth strategy, with social inclusiveness and environment at its heart. However, if sustainable development is to truly become the guiding principle of a prosperous European economy, it is also essential to reform the current economic model.

The new model of economic and social development in the European Green Deal implies integrating GDP with other equally important measures relating to the well-being of a community.

New approaches and methods for measuring progress are essential in today's ever more complex social environment so that we can better formulate a strategic vision for our societies, including the EU. The EESC advocates for a concise "Beyond GDP" scoreboard to be designed and incorporated into the European Green Deal scoreboard and the European economic governance process.

Moving towards a well-being economy means combining the idea of prosperity with the possibility of social progress within planetary boundaries. Because there will be no life, no jobs, no economic growth and no enterprise on a destroyed planet.

On 10 May, the EESC will organise a conference on “The well-being economy – the missing link in the European Green Deal” together with the French EU Presidency and many civil society actors. I hope that the concrete outcome of the conference will be a common understanding by all institutions on how to establish a new policy framework for a well-being economy, focusing on systemic change.

Supporting the creation of an EU that can prosper economically, be socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable is the key priority of my presidency. I can assure you that the EESC will continue to strive for this goal. The EU should provide sound conditions for all the civil society to thrive and live in open, values-based democracies. As a bridge between civil society and EU institutions, we are ready to play our part in the process of creating a vision of prosperity that works for people and the planet.

This is the message I conveyed to the Conference on the Future of Europe. There again, my main - if not only - concern is to make sure that the voice of the European civil society is heard and that civil society is always seen for what it is: part of the solution, not the problem!

Thank you very much for your attention. I wish you fruitful discussions and look forward to seeing your suggestions and recommendations all along this key event. Last but not least, I would like to warmly thank the secretariat of the Liaison group, all the civil society organisations and all members and staff colleagues from the EESC who worked so hard for this event to take place and to ensure high quality of debates.